News

Future a bit brighter for dogs in Taiwan

A few months ago, we called upon the international public to support the campaign by Taiwanese animal protection group EAST. They had investigated government pounds throughout Taiwan and discovered the {cms_selflink page=’dogs-taiwan’ text=’gruesome conditions ‘}for dogs and cats. Thanks to the many people who have acted upon this call, there is some great news about the campaign’s impact!

Following release of EAST’s report and massive protests, both national and international, the Executive Yuan (Parliament) of Taiwan recently decided to:

immediately close down the illegal dog pounds, which are the temporary holding facilities with the worst living conditions for the animals.

draft a ‘code of conduct for shelters’, which includes animal needs and welfare, within six months.

propose to transfer the catching of dogs back to Animal Protection agencies this year. Currently, catching is being done by employees from the garbage collection squad, who have not been trained to handle animals humanely and safely.

Despite this fantastic initial result, we need to keep pushing for improvements. At least ninety thousand animals a year still end up in terrible conditions with complete lack of care in government pounds in Taiwan. And this number will not decrease until the reasons why animals end up on the streets are addressed.

Please take a look at the video and be convinced why these animals need your further support. As we have seen from the success of the campaign so far: your {cms_selflink page=’get-involved’ text=’help’} really can make a difference!